George Russell secured pole position at the Baku City Circuit in the F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Results. The Mercedes driver set the fastest lap of 1:42.526 in Q3, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.837 seconds. Oscar Piastri finished third for McLaren, while Isaac Hadjar and Lando Norris completed the top five.
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The biggest surprise of Qualifying was championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was unable to continue after a crash at Turn 1 in Q1. The Mercedes driver qualified in just P16. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, the fastest in FP3, didn’t achieve the expected pace in Q3, and the Red Bull driver had to settle for P8.
Also Read: F1 Azerbaijan GP FP3 Results: Max Verstappen Fastest, Russell P2 & Hamilton P3 in Baku
F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Results: Russell Takes Fifth Pole of 2026
George Russell consistently displayed strong pace during Azerbaijan GP qualifying. The Mercedes driver also set benchmark pace in Q1 and Q2 and secured pole position on his final attempt in Q3 with a lap of 1:42.526.
Russell’s final lap was 0.837 seconds faster than Charles Leclerc. This is his fifth pole position of the 2026 season. According to the FIA, Russell beat Leclerc by 0.837 seconds in Q3.
Leclerc secured P2 for Ferrari, while Oscar Piastri finished third by just 0.001 seconds. Piastri’s 1:43.364 lap was a close second to Leclerc’s 1:43.363.
F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Results: Top 10
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | 1:42.526 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | 1:43.363 |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | 1:43.364 |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar | 1:43.500 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | 1:43.672 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:43.858 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | 1:44.047 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | 1:44.078* |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz | 1:44.159* |
| 10 | Franco Colapinto | 1:44.349* |
The top 10 order is confirmed in the official qualifying report; the final timing table should refer to the FIA/F1 classification.
Kimi Antonelli Crashes in Q1, Qualifies P16
The biggest qualifying setback for Mercedes was Kimi Antonelli. The championship leader made contact with the wall at Turn 1 during Q1, causing significant damage to his Mercedes.
Antonelli tried to drive the car back to the pits, but Mercedes asked him to stop in a safe position. The team later confirmed that he would be unable to attempt a second lap due to suspension damage.
This means Antonelli qualified in P16 and will start from midfield in the Azerbaijan GP.
Max Verstappen Only P8 After FP3 Victory
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in FP3 with a 1:43.922, and a strong performance was expected from the Red Bull driver before qualifying. However, his pace did not remain consistent in qualifying.
Verstappen finished P8 in Q3. According to F1 reports, the Red Bull driver experienced problems with the car’s front end and straight-line performance during qualifying.
This means Verstappen will start the race behind Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, Hadjar, Norris, Hamilton, and Gasly.
Also Read: F1 Azerbaijan GP FP2 Results: George Russell Fastest, Mercedes 1-2 in Baku
McLaren Strong, Hadjar Delivers Impressive P4
McLaren secured both cars in the top five. Oscar Piastri finished P3, while Lando Norris qualified P5.
Norris had a lock-up on his final Q3 lap, preventing him from improving his position. Piastri, meanwhile, finished just 0.001 seconds behind Leclerc.
Red Bull’s Isaac Hadjar also completed an impressive qualifying session. Hadjar, making his return after the Hungarian GP, secured P4 and qualified ahead of Max Verstappen.
F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Results: Who was eliminated from Q2?
Ollie Bearman, Liam Lawson, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, and Arvid Lindblad were unable to advance after Q2. Antonelli also missed this stage due to a Q1 crash.
Bearman led the way in P11, while Lawson finished in P12 and Albon in P13. Ocon was classified in P14 and Lindblad in P15.
Audi Cars Out of Q1
Azhar qualifying was disappointing for Audi. The team had brought major upgrades for the Baku weekend, but both cars failed to progress beyond Q1.
Gabriele Bortoleto finished in P17 and Nico Hulkenberg in P18. According to the F1 qualifying report, both Audi drivers were eliminated in Q1.
Alonso and Stroll will go to the back of the grid
Fernando Alonso was classified in P18 in qualifying, but the Aston Martin driver will be relegated to the back of the grid in the race due to power-unit component penalties. Lance Stroll will also be on the back row due to penalties.
These penalties place Cadillac’s Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in the P19 and P20 positions on the provisional starting grid, while the Aston Martin pair are relegated to the back row.
Azerbaijan GP Starting Grid
Taking into account the current qualifying classification and confirmed grid penalties:
- George Russell
- Charles Leclerc
- Oscar Piastri
- Isack Hadjar
- Lando Norris
- Lewis Hamilton
- Pierre Gasly
- Max Verstappen
- Carlos Sainz
- Franco Colapinto
- Ollie Bearman
- Liam Lawson
- Alex Albon
- Esteban Ocon
- Arvid Lindblad
- Kimi Antonelli
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Nico Hulkenberg
- Sergio Perez
- Valtteri Bottas
Note: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will start from the back of the provisional classification due to qualifying penalties.
When will the Azerbaijan GP race take place?
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race will take place on Saturday, September 26, at the Baku City Circuit. According to the F1 schedule, the race will begin at 3:00 PM local time in Baku, which means 4:30 PM IST in India.
Russell will start from pole, while Leclerc and Piastri will start from behind the front row. Verstappen will start from P8, and championship leader Antonelli will start from P16.
F1 Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Results: Auto India Daily Verdict
The Baku qualifying has created an interesting starting order for the race. Russell set a lap of 1:42.526 for pole position, while Leclerc and Piastri are separated by just 0.001 seconds.
The biggest talking points are Antonelli’s Q1 crash and Verstappen’s P8 qualifying result. Hadjar’s P4 and both McLaren cars finishing in the top five were the highlights of qualifying.
The focus will now shift to Saturday’s race, where Baku’s long straights and tight sections could also impact the starting grid’s race strategy.
Also Read: F1 Azerbaijan GP FP1 Results: George Russell Fastest, Antonelli Faces Issue
Raj Prajapati is a Senior Automotive Content Writer at AutoIndiaDaily. A B.Tech graduate in Computer Science and Engineering, he leverages over four years of experience covering Indian car and bike launches, EV tech, and market dynamics to break down complex automotive regulations into simple consumer guides. Specialising in Indian motor vehicle laws, IRDAI updates, and ownership costs, Raj translates technical auto policies into actionable advice for everyday drivers.